Universal plug button or closure



May 15, 1951 P. D. BECKER 2,552,917

UNIVERSAL PLUG BUTTON 0R CLOSURE Filed Nov. 17, 1948 FIGJ.

INVENTOR- Pm uP D. BECKER BY WJM .ATTORNELY.

Patented May 15 Philip D. Becker,

Hingha'm, Mass.-, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 17, 1948, Serial No. 60,498

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to plug buttons and closures for apertured members, and more particularly to universal plug buttons adapted for snap fastener engagement in apertures of various diameters in supports of various thicknesses, and the invention aims generally to improve existing buttons and closures of that type.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of an improved plug button adapted to be positioned in an apertured support and which will have an improved looking or snap fastener engagement with the wall of the support aperture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a plug button capable of snap fastener engagement with the walls of apertures of various diameters and insupports of various thicknesses within substantially wide ranges- A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved plug. button having resilient support-engaging fastener members or fingers, which button is of novel construction and has a different and improved fastening action from existing devices of a similar type.

The above and further objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a plug button as applied to an apertured support;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view of a plug button as applied to a thin apertured support as taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom planview of the plug button illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the attaching member or spring member before capping;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating the manner in which the plug button is adapted for fastener engagement with apertures of varying diameters and supports of varying thicknesses; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one-half of a blank stamping suitable for a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the improved plug button is preferably of two-part construction comprising an attaching or fastener part III and a cap member 20 which may be a closure overlying the attaching member.

The attaching or fastener part In is preferably formed of suitable resilient sheet material, for example spring sheet metal, such as 40-50 carbon steel, and preferably is a stamping shaped to provide an inner central fastener-supporting annulus II.

Advantageously the annulus H is of continuous construction and is provided with a circular series of circumferentially spaced radial extensions of suitable configuration to provide capsupporting segments l2 and connecting struts H2. The radial extensions are preferably of segmental shape so that the cap-supporting segments I2 may collectively form an annular capsupporting rim of predetermined diameter. The stamping is shaped so that the struts I3-extend obliquely from the annulus H toward the capsupporting rim 12 which may be a flanged portion adjoining the outer end of the struts and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the annulus I l as will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 6.

A circular series of circumferentially spaced fastener members [5 are formed integral with the annulus H and are preferably interposed between: adjacent struts l3 and extend divergently from the annulus toward the cap member at a-greater angle than the struts 13 so as collectively to form a circular fastener member of greater diameter than the struts I 3 or annulus .H. The fastener members [5 are preferably in the form of spring fingers and are preferably provided with arcuate bearing portions [6 adjacent the ends thereof or at least substantially removed from the annulus II. These bearing portions I6; therefore,v arecapable of substantial movement radially of the plug button so as to have snap fastener engagement with the holes of apertures varying in diameter. The terminal ends of the fingers I5 are inwardly turned as at ll to engage the marginal aperture edge of a thin support as shown in Fig. 3.

The cap member 20 may be of any suitable construction, such as a ring or the like and in the illustrated embodiment is shown as a continuous closure adapted to be secured to and overlie the cap-supporting rim. formed by the plurality of segment flanges l2. mayalso take other forms such as a screen or lens or glass for a light bulb holder. Conveniently.the cap may be secured to the supporting member by clamping or clenching the outer peripheral rim thereof under the cap-supporting rim. During such capping operation it is highly desirable that the segments l2 and struts I3 be restrained from radial inward movement and The closure difierent 3 this may be accomplished by constructing the segment flanges l2 of sufficient length so that they will be end-abutting and will collectively form a closed annulus or cap-supporting ring.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6 of the drawing, there is illustrated a universal plug button adapted for snap fastener engagement in an aperture of a diameter of -i% inch in a support for a? inch thickness as illustrated on the left hand side of said figure, to an aperture of He inches diameter in a support of inch thickness which is permissible by reason of the fact that the snap fastener members or fingers have a wide range of radial movement flexing from a point of connection with'the attaching member along a plane spaced from the cap and support.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a fragmental portion of a blank suitable for making a five-prong plug button according to a modified form of the invention. As will be apparent, the segmental sections i201. of the blank as stamped are substantially spaced and the struts 13a may taper radially inwardly toward the annulus Ha, When the blank is shaped to space the annulus Ila in a plane spaced coaxially from the plane of the cap-supporting rim, the diameter of the rim is contracted and the ends of the segments l2a are brought into abutting relation.

The plug buttons and closures constructed in accordance with the present invention possess the advantage of being applicable to apertures of various diameters in supports of varying thick-- nesses. The fastener or attaching member it being of one-piece construction may be readily stamped and shaped to provide a convenient and economical part to manufacture. The resilient support-engaging fingers are connected to the supporting annulus in a plane spaced from the cap or outer surface of the support and extend toward the supporting member so that their engagement with the aperture wall is intermediate the cap and their point of support thus pro viding an improved fastener action over existing devices of this type.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention I do not intend to be limited thereto as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A plug button or closure for attachment to an apertured support, comprising a supporting member having axially spaced ring portions of diameters, circumferentially spaced struts for connecting said ring portions and maintaining them in axially spaced relation, a cap secured to and overlying the ring portion of larger diameter, and resilient support-engaging fingers with an arouate longitudinal cross-section i connected to said ring portion of lesser diameter and extending radially outward therefrom and Y angularly toward said cap, said fingers having arouate support-engaging surfaces adapted'for engagement with an aperture wall under tension radially of said plug button.

2. A'plug button or closure adapted for attachment to an aperture comprising a continuous annular member, circumferentially spaced struts extending angularly from said member, a segmental portion extending laterally in opposite directions from an outer end of each of said struts, said segmental portions being adapted collectively to form a substantially annular capsupporting member, andresilient support-engaging fingers having an arcuate longitudinal crosssectionextending radially outward from said first named annular member and angularly toward said second named annular member, said fingers having arouate support-engaging surfaces adapted for engagement with an aperture wall under tension radially of said plug button.

3. A plug button or closure as defined in claim 2 characterized in that the segmental portions have abutting end edges to restrain movement of said segments and struts.

4. Aplug button or closure adapted for attachment to an apertured support comprising a continuous annular member adapted to enter a support aperture, circumferentially spaced arms extending angularly from said member, outwardly turned flanged portions at the ends of said arms adapted collectively to form a cap-supporting member, a cap secured to and overlying said cap-supporting member, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilientsupport-engaging fastener members integrally connected to said annular member and extending angularly outward therefrom toward said cap, portions of said fastener members adjacent the ends thereof being turned inwardly to form arouate supportengaging surfaces adapted for engagement with an aperture wall under tension radially of said plug button.

' PHILIP D. BECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

France Apr. 28, 1917 

